The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University) held their second joint conference on May 24, 2018 on the MGIMO University campus. In recent years, Russian-American relations have deteriorated dramatically to a level of animosity unseen since the Cold War. Tensions between the two countries have proliferated across multiple issue areas and have led to an exchange of tit-for-tat retaliatory measures. The first MGIMO-Fletcher conference on Russia-U.S. relations in November 2017 provided an opportunity to examine both the depth and scope of disagreements between Moscow and Washington.
The second conference held in May 2018 aimed at assessing the potential for cooperation in the areas of shared interests. The analyses developed in the conference could prove useful in preventing escalation and illuminating a path toward a more cooperative bilateral relationship in the longer term. The issues covered during the conference included the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, combating terrorism and other non-traditional security challenges, regulation of international regimes for the development of common spaces, and the development of integration processes in Eurasia. Separate sections were devoted to differences between Russian and American approaches to the interpretation of international law as well as the role of values in relations between the two states. During the final discussion, participants tried to understand the prospects for limiting inter-state competition in the modern world.
The conference was part of the U.S.-Russia Relations Initiative sponsored by Carnegie Corporation of New York. We are thankful for the support of our sponsors, partners, and volunteers. Please see the conference announcement, agenda, photos and videos.
For news and media about the second Fletcher-MGIMO conference, please see the following links:
- Professor Daniel Drezner Reflects on Moscow and the Second Fletcher-MGIMO Conference (This piece was republished from the Washington Post)
- Second Conference of MGIMO University and The Fletcher School (This piece was translated and republished from the MGIMO website)
